


The Hogwarts Years

by Philomela



Series: Sweeter the Sun [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Aspecs deserve love too, Hadrian is a bit thick, Hogwarts Era, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Sirius Black is in denial, lots of pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2020-11-23 14:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 8,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20893919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philomela/pseuds/Philomela
Summary: Prequel to "Be Still My Foolish Heart". Can be read before, after, or along with the main fic. Follows Hadrian through Hogwarts.[Collection of ficlets spanning their school years.]





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry James Potter is just having an off day, alright?

It was a Monday.

That was really all the explanation one needed. Mondays are objectively the worst day of the week and all one could do was to keep their head down and try to survive until Tuesday. At least, that was Harry Potter’s approach to Mondays. 

This particular Monday was dark and overcast, which meant that Harry had a bit of trouble waking up on time and therefore came into work an entire hour late. Shacklebolt - the Head Auror - had tried his best to pretend that he had not seen the Boy-Who-Lived, Vanquisher of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, recipient of an Order of Merlin for Services Rendered for the Good of Wizarding Britain, literally slide into the Auror department before falling into his office chair.

Harry shot his superior a cheeky grin, tossing an “Ugh, Monday’s, right”, before grabbing the missive from his desk. He had enough time to read the highlights before Ron, his mission partner, began dragging him out of the department. 

“Sorry, no time to waste, mate.” And then they were off. They took the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, apparated to the coordinates noted on the missive and then had to duck to avoid spells aimed at their heads.

“Ugh, Mondays,” Harry groaned, giving chase to the wizard that had so rudely greeted their arrival. 

Down cobbled streets, through stores and then along the roofs of businesses in the busy city center — they weaved through crowds of people, climbed out store windows and scrabbled up pipelines — the fleeing wizard (or witch, it was hard to tell) haphazardly hurling spells behind them in an attempt to shake-off the pursuing Aurors. 

Ron was just slightly ahead and to the right, while Harry tried to pull up on the left to help flank their target. Things were looking up for them, as they quickly closed the distance and were soon only an arms-reach away. Harry reached out and —

And snapped his eyes open. 

The world was white and empty, with the exception of the train before him. 

“Ugh, Mondays,” Harry groaned, recognizing the train platform from years before when he had first died fighting Voldemort. Looking around, he noticed the distinct lack of one former Headmaster, or even much of a platform beyond the small square of land he himself stood on. 

Heaving a sigh, Harry boarded the train, idly wondering where it would take him — to the afterlife with his family? To his next life? Wherever it was, Harry just hoped he could take it easy — he had already had enough adventure to last him a few lifetimes.


	2. Year 1, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hadrian Black reads above his age level and it shows.

It was a Monday and, as Hadrian Black concluded from his rather limited 11 years of experience on this earth, Mondays are objectively the worst day of the week.

It was on a Monday that he had fallen from his perch on a tree branch and broken his arm (and leg and some ribs as well).

It was on a Monday that he had gone to Uncle Cygnus’ for Cousin Cissy’s birthday and had been promptly terrorized by Bellatrix for the entire visit.

It was on a Monday that he had found out that he was a Parselmouth — and also envenomated by the snake that had helped him discover the gift.

It was on a Monday that Cousin Sirius — oh wait, that was a Thursday.

Well, Mondays had always come with trouble.

His current crisis was that he had arrived at Hogwarts and was waiting to be sorted when he realized that he had forgotten something very important.

“What’s wrong?” Hadrian looked up and found Sirius standing behind him.

“I forgot Athena at home.” Mournful green eyes gazed up at the boy that was only several months older (but had lorded those couple months over him for as long as he could remember).

“I’m sure Uncle Alphard will have her sent over as soon as he can. Merlin knows that cat doesn’t like anyone else,” Sirius muttered, squeezing the other boy’s hand in an effort to comfort him. “Now pay attention, they’re gonna call us to be sorted.”

Hadrian turned around in time to hear his name announced. He slowly made his way to the stool and held his breath as the sorting hat slowly blocked his vision.

_”Hmm… interesting, interesting for sure… where should I place you, now that’s the question…. you have some ambition and cunning, but is it enough for Slytherin?…. on the other hand… I’m sure you’ll fit right in to —_

RAVENCLAW!”

Hadrian sighed at the verdict. Ravenclaw wasn’t Slytherin, though he was sure that his parents wouldn’t care too much about that — it _was_ still a respectable House for a Black.

He quickly seated himself among his new Housemates and turned to watch Sirius’ sorting.

It seemed the Sorting Hat had some trouble making up its mind when it came to placing the other Black, but it soon announced its decision — “GRYFFINDOR!” — to the surprise of many.

Green eyes sought out grey as the — slightly! — older Black made his way over to join the Lions. When he finally met the other boy’s eyes, Hadrian flashed him an encouraging smile, trying to return the favor from earlier. Sirius could only manage a strained, tight smile in return as worry began lining his face.

*

_I know I just left, but I already feel a bit homesick. Hogwarts is a, well, castle and so gets a bit drafty at night as I’m sure you both remember. And you know that I already run cold, so this is quite a nightmare. Mum, would you mind sending over my quilt, the one with the warming charms?_

_Oh, and speaking of things that I really should have packed with me — I left poor Athena behind! How did you guys not notice that she wasn’t with me? The poor girl is probably missing me as much as I miss her, and I feel terrible, absolutely terrible for forgetting about her in all the excitement. Is there any way that she can be sent to Hogwarts? I imagine she wouldn’t enjoy being sent by owl (I also imagine that none of our owls would enjoy that task — maybe Lenny, he’s large enough and petty enough to not mind too much) but there must be some way! I really don’t think I could wait until Yule break before seeing her._

_By the way, I was sorted into Ravenclaw. I remember your stories about the Slytherin common room, and how the entrance wasn’t marked so that only Slytherin students knew where it was; well I admit that I thought it would be something similar for Ravenclaw — it wasn’t . There’s a door, so the entrance is very obvious, with an engraved eagle that decides to allow or deny us entrance to the common room. Also, did you know that Ravenclaw doesn’t use passwords? Well, not in the traditional sense of the word anyway. We have to knock on the door, and then the eagle will ask us a riddle. We can only get inside if we answer correctly. I mean, I guess that fits in with the theme of the house and all… but what if we’re just not good at riddles? They can’t honestly expect all of us to be able to answer whatever that bird comes up with, can they? Well, it’s only my first day, so it remains to be seen how often the riddles get rotated and whether there are any repeats. I would hope that they keep the same riddle at least for the week — that would be the least they could do._

_Oh, and Cousin Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor. Do you know what Uncle Orion’s stance on that is?_

_Love,_  
_ Hadrian_


	3. Year 1, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, how do eleven-year-olds even talk?

“Papa!” Hadrian launched himself at the unmistakable figure of his father, waiting for him in the Headmaster’s office.

People outside of the Black family assumed that it was his mother that spoiled him — something they reasoned away by pointing out that she was a Greengrass — but in actuality it was his father that liked to smother him in hugs and kisses. The best part of that, in Hadrian’s opinion, is that Alphard Black made it a point to act the same way even in the presence of others — though he took particular pleasure in showering Hadrian with affection when in the presence of his older brother, Cygnus.

“Hadrian, my little raven,” He began, dropping a kiss on his son’s cheeks, which were flushing in pleasure at the moniker. “I come bearing gifts!” It was then that Hadrian took note of the packages near his father’s feet, along with the cat carrier.

“Oh papa, you know Athena hates being carried around in that thing!” Hadrian bent down and quickly undid the latches, letting out a shout of laughter as said feline immediately jumped into his arms, yowling loudly to make sure its displeasure was known to the room at large.

“Yes, well, your mum does enjoy looking at this face so some sacrifices had to be made if I wanted to bring you the hellspawn,” Alphard muttered, glaring into the bright blue eyes that were leering at him over his son’s shoulder, letting him know that the hatred was mutual. Hadrian, oblivious to the staring match, continued running his fingers through Athena’s thick fur while apologizing for forgetting her at home.

“Thank you for stopping by, papa. Tell mum that I love her and that I promise not to eat all the fudge in one go.” He carefully placed Athena on the ground and gave his father one last hug — accepting a kiss to his forehead in return — before picking up his packages and making his way back to Ravenclaw Tower.

*

Standing face to face with The Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, Hadrian realized that he wouldn’t be able to actually get in without a password. Pouting at his luck, he decided to hang around the entrance until a Gryffindor student passed by.

“Hadrian?” Looking up from his position sitting on the floor, near the portrait (where he had been trying to keep Athena entertained), Hadrian spotted Sirius walking up to him with a familiar figure by his side.

“Sirius! Oh, and James too! Well, this is good,” He greeted, scooping up Athena as he stood. “Papa stopped by to drop off Athena, and he also brought along some gifts. This one’s for you.” With a grin, he handed over the slender package.

Sirius accepted the parcel, and then nodded towards the glowering feline in Hadrian’s arms.

“I’m glad you guys were reunited,” He chuckled as James, unfamiliar with Athena, had tried to pet the grumpy feline only to quickly retract his arm as claws attempted to gouge the offending appendage.

“Congratulations on being sorted into Ravenclaw.”

“And same to you, for Gryffindor. It’s a good fit, and you also get to stay with Cousin James.”

“It was nice to see you again, Hadrian,” James offered, giving his parting words before heading through the portrait and into the Common Room, leaving Hadrian and Sirius alone in the hallway.

Sirius was awkwardly playing with the package in his hands, while Hadrian was absently tracing patterns in Athena’s fur — the two had never really spent any time alone together before, without the presence of any number of their extended family to act as a buffer.

Finally, Sirius broke the stalemate by reaching across and pulling the smaller boy into a hug.

“Thanks," _for the package, for not saying anything about the sorting, for stopping by_ — Sirius didn’t qualify, but that was okay with Hadrian.

“Good night, Sirius. I’ll see you soon.”

And Hadrian had meant that, though at the time he had thought that they would be able to see each other during classes — but for whatever reason, Ravenclaw only rarely shared any with Gryffindor. So the two would exchange greetings during meal times, and nod at one another during Herbology, but otherwise kept to the circle of friends that each were cultivating among their respective housemates.

It was only during the holidays, when the Black family would gather at Grimmauld Place, that they would have the opportunity to spend time together.

Sometimes Hadrian wondered why he was trying so hard to befriend Sirius, when he had been content with only seeing the other boy during the Yule holiday parties previously — and then he would remember the warmth of the hug they had shared outside the Gryffindor Common Room.

Maybe he’ll give it another couple weeks before throwing in the towel.


	4. Year 2, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sirius is better at making friends among strangers than his own family.

Considering how hard it was to maintain a semblance of a friendly relationship with Sirius, it was curious just how _easy_ it was to be friends with the younger brother, Regulus.

_Then again, I was always closer to Regulus and Narcissa than the others to begin with. That must count for something — that foundation._

What Hadrian was trying to ignore, though, was the little voice in the back of his head whispering that the reason he could still be so close to Regulus was because the younger boy was _actually trying_ — they both were, but the same could not be said when referring to the fledgling relationship between Hadrian and Sirius.

Sirius had seemed to find his friend group with James Potter and Remus Lupin; he even seemed to be spending more time with Peter Pettigrew — _of all people!_ Hadrian was hard pressed not be feel offended when he had found out that piece of information — than Hadrian. The four of them were so close, it was hard for other people to even think of approaching any of them. Like right now, in the Great Hall, where the four of them were huddling together over breakfast and whispering conspiratorially with one another. Just the sight made Hadrian want to go pouting to Narcissa — at least _she_ paid attention to him, even if she was a _seventh year_.

“Hadrian?” He looked up to see that Regulus had made his way over to the Ravenclaw table and was now standing before him, looking a bit anxious.

“Good morning, Reggie.” Hadrian idly noted that Regulus really could have passed for Sirius’ twin, if not for the blue eyes.

“Morning.” With a warm smile, the younger Black took a seat beside him and began stealing the strawberries from Hadrian’s plate. “Cissy and I were planning on taking tea on the grounds later. Join us.”

Hadrian swatted at the hand that had tried to pilfer more of his breakfast. “That wasn’t a question,” he pointed out, rolling his eyes as Regulus pouted when his food theft was put to a stop. Lips unwittingly spreading into a fond smile just a breath later, Hadrian continued, “But I’d love to.” 

Well, even if Sirius had no interest in him, he could always count on Regulus and Narcissa to be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Across the Great Hall, Sirius watched as his younger brother — who had only been sorted into _Slytherin_ just days before — approached Hadrian and couldn't help the scowl that stole across his face. He had an ear turned towards the conversation between James and Remus, but his eyes were carefully watching as Regulus interacted so comfortably with their cousin — looking far more relaxed than Sirius had ever seen his brother look; he took note of the warm smiles exchanged, the playful body language and the proximity of their bodies on the Ravenclaw bench. 
> 
> With a huff, he turned his attention back to his housemates, tuning back into the conversation and offering a well-timed pun (as if his attention hadn't been focused elsewhere for the past handful of minutes). 
> 
> What did he care that Hadrian was so close with Regulus? 
> 
> He wasn't jealous.


	5. Year 2, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the beginning of the super secretive, super selective, Black Family Tea and Gossip group.

“Cissy, what would we have done without you?” Hadrian asked, plopping down on the ground beside Narcissa; Regulus — not far behind — chose to lower himself onto the grass in a more civilized manner.

“Most likely be forced to make friends among your own year mates, the horror,” she drawled in reply, staring at the pair pointedly over the golden rim of her porcelain tea cup.

“Is this your tea set, as in your personal tea set that we used to use for the tea parties at the manor?” Regulus was shocked and had not even thought to hide his incredulity at this discovery. Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the youngest Black and Regulus quickly received the unvoiced message — he shifted his gaze, dropping that line of inquiry, as he pretended to be absorbed in the enormous decision of whether he was in the mood for one of the many dainty sandwiches or would prefer a scone instead.

Hadrian wisely chose to ignore Regulus’ unfortunate contribution to the conversation.

“I talk to my year mates,” Hadrian argued, pouting. “Terry’s alright — I’ve even been helping him slowly turn our dorm room into a jungle, though it’s been hard trying to make sure the Snake Vines don’t strangle us all in our sleep. Jasper’s not half bad, either — he’s more of a Transfiguration guy; dead set on trying to disprove Gamp’s Law by graduation, which is mad, but otherwise he’s chill and quite loveable.”

“I’m glad to hear that you haven’t been ignoring your housemates in favor of Sirius,”Narcissa was on the verge of grinning — Merlin forbid if the graceful, sophisticated daughter of Cygnus and Druella be caught doing something so plebian and crass as grinning — and managed to settle on an expression just on the more pleasant side of smirking.

“It kind of helps that Sirius has been ignoring Hadrian,” Regulus quipped, feeling safe enough to once again join the conversation.

Hadrian remained silent, instead choosing to shove a whole scone into his mouth and ignoring the horrified expressions on his cousins’ faces at the act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa had, in fact, brought along her personal tea set to Hogwarts. The dainty porcelain cups — with the gold leaf trim and the gently swaying painted rose petals — were ones that Aunt Penelope had gifted her on her fifth birthday. 
> 
> Of course Regulus and Hadrian would be able to recognize the cups, since they had been roped into attending all of the tea parties Narcissa had enjoyed hosting when they were children, and had therefore become intimately acquainted with Narcissa's prized china. Despite this, Narcissa would prefer to keep this knowledge confined to just the three of them, and one could not always be certain that secrets aired on the school grounds would stay as such. 
> 
> The last thing Narcissa needed to get out and make the rounds among the school's gossips, was that she still enjoyed throwing tea parties with her two younger cousins. She had carefully cultivated an ice bitch persona and she'd be damned if she allowed that to be disrupted just because Regulus was still learning when to keep his mouth shut.


	6. Year 2, Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Harry, in this life it'll be tea, studying, and family bonding. Nothing so exciting as near death experiences this time around.

It had actually been Regulus’ idea (as it usually is) for the three Black’s to regularly meet up in the Hogwarts Library to study. They were not a study group — they were far too quiet and independent for that — but were rather a group of students that studied in each other’s presence. 

They had quickly discovered that just having another person be physically present served to work as a form of motivation and accountability that spurred productivity and ensured that assignments were quickly and efficiently completed. 

Every so often, if Regulus was having difficulty with an assignment, Hadrian was there to provide insight as only someone who had just recently gone through the same experience could do. And if Hadrian had any questions — maybe not about the coursework in particular, but about concepts in general — then Narcissa had proved to be an invaluable resource: while she was not an authority on any subject, she was able to give Hadrian just enough information to sate his curiosity so that he could return to his work and actually finish his assignment. 

The year before — when Hadrian had only had the company of other Ravenclaws — he had frequently found himself treading into the downward spiral that was research, and would often find himself lost in a mountain of miscellaneous texts that were only tangentially related to the assignment he had been working on just hours prior (before he had stumbled upon a question he had needed an immediate answer for). Needless to say, Hadrian had often found himself scrambling to finish his assignments before class that first year.

Narcissa — as a student preparing for her NEWTs — did not find as much academic fulfillment in these study sessions as the younger students. On the other hand, she was able to find a certain peace of mind studying with them that she never would have found if there had been other seventh year students present. Understandably, NEWTs preparations were quite daunting and anxiety-inducing (as only any definitive exam that would determine a student’s future career prospects could be) , but an unintended consequence of that was that Narcissa found the other students unbearable to study around — she found their stress and anxiety distracting to her ability to concentrate. She had also realized that, no matter how hard she tried to stop the habit, she would inevitably find herself comparing her own study progress with that of her fellow seventh years and (if she found herself to be lacking in comparison) would end up in an unproductive state of anxious panic. 

Overall, the arrangment worked for all parties involved. 

(Hadrian privately thought that it also helped that Narcissa indulged her younger cousins by making sure to always bring a basket of sweets and desserts to accompany the pot of tea that they couldn’t survive a study session without.)


	7. Year 3, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always viewed scenes in the end notes as the equivalent of the after-credit scenes in movies.

With the start of third year came some changes: Narcissa had graduated at the end of last term, Regulus had started fostering a friendship with one Potion’s prodigy (Hadrian had mixed feelings about this), and the third years were set to begin their foray into the elective coursework offered at their fine institution.

Terry and Jasper had both settled on Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, cruelly abandoning Hadrian. From a bit of eavesdropping, it appeared that Sirius, James, and Peter had all had a similar thought, as they had settled on those same two subjects — leaving Remus as the odd one out, choosing to take Divination and Ancient Runes.

Hadrian, on the other hand, was always a bit special. He had had a particularly difficult time choosing his electives. Divination had been the easy choice — he had an innate talent for the field and enjoyed it besides — but when it came down to choosing his second course, he just couldn’t bring himself to choose between Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Both of them had proven too fascinating and even presented many practical applications down the line.

When consulting with his mother, Penelope had confided that most people were usually drawn to _either_ Divination or Arithmancy, as the two fields were seen to be diametric opposites (Hadrian thought this was rather stupid and short-sighted) — Divination required both a love and talent for the field, while Arithmancy required a more analytical, calculation-oriented mind; Divination dealt with seeing the future, while Arithmancy dealt with calculating the probabilities of certain events occurring. This opposition even played out with the staff assigned to teach each of the disciplines and even the schedule itself: Professors Cayce and Gauss made their rivalry quite apparent by having the two classes scheduled at the same time so that no student would be able to take both at the same time (which was the crux of Hadrian’s problem at the moment — he didn’t want to pass up on Arithmancy just because of something as silly as the linear passage of time or the childish rivalry of the educators involved).

Close to tears in frustration, Hadrian had turned to his head of house — Professor Flitwick — to express his dismay and to suggest that the diminutive wizard might request either Professor Cayce or Professor Gauss to reconsider the timing of their course.

Professor Flitwick, having a soft spot for Hadrian, had listened to his distressed student’s suggestion but had arrived at a much different conclusion.

That day, Hadrian learned that time need not necessarily pass linearly at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sirius leaned over to peak at Remus’ class schedule, rolling his eyes when he spotted Ancient Runes but quickly moved on to the bigger surprise printed on the parchment: “Divination? Really, Remmy?”
> 
> “I thought the course description sounded interesting,” he admitted, shrugging. 
> 
> “Yeah, but more interesting than Care of Magical Creatures?” Sirius cocked an eyebrow, not even trying to hide his disbelief at that reasoning. 
> 
> “Yes, actually. Who wouldn’t be interested in trying to see into the future?” Remus pointed out — he was almost starting to wonder if he _was_ the only one interested in seeing the future. 
> 
> “But Divination’s one of those things where you either have the gift or you don’t. I’m bollocks at it, but Hadrian’s amazing.” Sirius was starting to feel uncomfortable under the weight of Remus’ steady gaze. He weathered it for a moment more before he broke. 
> 
> “What?” Remus just shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. 
> 
> “Nothing. Just thought it was interesting that you even know something like that, when you’ve been avoiding him.” 
> 
> “I have _not_,” Sirius denied, cheeks burning red at the accusation. It was at times like these that he cursed his fair complexion for easily broadcasting his embarrassment for all to see.
> 
> “Sure, sure. Whatever you say,” Remus — infuriatingly — just smiled that patient smile of his before turning back to his breakfast, readily dropping the argument before it could gain any steam. 
> 
> “I’m not,” Sirius said, pouting.
> 
> His grey eyes wandered — _accidentally_ — over to the Ravenclaw table and watched as Hadrian passed his schedule over to two other housemates (_he’s been spending quite a lot of time recently around those guys specifically_). 
> 
> Sirius and Hadrian were kept apart by their class schedules, that was all. It wasn’t as if Sirius was actively avoiding him — why would he anyway?


	8. Year 3, Part 2

Hadrian had made his way to the library, to _their_ table — the one that they had claimed last year with Narcissa — with every intention of studying with his cousin, Regulus, _and_ _no one else_. This was a family affair, that’s what they had decided last year — informally, and without a discussion really, but those were just minor details since the three of them were able to_ just know_ how the others felt about the arrangement.

So Hadrian was a bit taken aback, understandably so, when he had stopped at his usual seat to find a third person sitting in the chair across from it — and that person was not Sirius so he was also, most definitely, _not_ family.

“Reggie?” Hadrian questioned, looking to the younger student to explain the situation.

“Hadrian, may I introduce Severus? I believe I’ve mentioned him before? He’s a Slytherin in your year,” Regulus made sure to widen his grey eyes and pout out his lower lip a bit, really capitalizing on the cute and innocent look that came naturally to him (_the conniving snake_).

“I believe I remember that, yes,” Hadrian replied, carefully enunciating each syllable in order to give himself a bit more time to process the situation.

“Severus doesn’t really get on with the other Slytherin’s in his year, so I invited him to study with us. I figured you’d be okay with that — you have trouble with Potions and Severus is brilliant with them, so it would be beneficial to have him around,” Regulus kept his wide-eyed stare trained on him, slowing chipping away at his resolve.

Hadrian quickly ran through everything he knew about the Slytherin — not much, as it turned out. He knew that the Marauders (as Sirius and his friends had taken to calling themselves) did not particularly like him and he also had a suspicion that the feeling was mutual; as Regulus hinted at, Severus Snape was a bit of a loner, preferring to keep to himself; he was also rather good at Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts (both subjects that Hadrian wouldn’t mind some help with). Beyond that, Hadrian didn’t really have much information to go off of.

“It’s nice to meet you Severus, I’m Hadrian, Regulus’ cousin.” As he took his seat across from the other boy, he could practically feel Regulus’ pleasure rolling off of him in waves. Well, if it made Regulus that happy, he would try and give Severus a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severus watched as Hadrian stole Regulus’ tea cup once the younger boy had drained it (leaving only dregs behind). With no small amount of disbelief, he observed the Ravenclaw as he peered down at the bottom of the cup for some moments, pulling open a reference text and flipping through it for several seconds before seeming to find what he had been looking for. As Hadrian began noting something down on a piece of parchment, Severus leant over to the younger Black and whispered, voice low enough that the Ravenclaw across the table wouldn’t hear his words, “What is he doing with your cup?”
> 
> “Oh, don’t mind him. He’s taking Divination, and they’re starting out with tessomancy.”
> 
> “Tessomancy,” Severus repeated, blankly. He had no idea what that referred to but had no intention of coming out and admitting his ignorance. Luckily, Regulus kindly filled him in. 
> 
> “Divination through tea leaves. Hadrian doesn’t particularly like that branch — he’s much better with his cards — but he has peeked at our tea leaves — mine and Narcissa’s that is — when he was feeling particularly bored.”
> 
> “It looks like you… seem to have more faith in Divination than some others,” Severus said, carefully picking his words so as not to offend the younger Slytherin that had been so kind to him. 
> 
> “Oh, it’s complete bollocks when the average witch or wizard tries their hand,” Regulus admitted with a soft laugh. “But Hadrian is part Greengrass — through his mum — and they have been known to produce people talented in that discipline every so often. Hadrian himself has always been a bit odd in that sense, what with his strange dreams and his uncanny affinity for it all.” 
> 
> Severus nodded, tucking this new information away in the back of his mind, before returning back to his Transfiguration essay. He carefully peeked at Hadrian when he was sure the other was absorbed in a conversation with Regulus (relaying his findings). 
> 
> Severus felt that he had a good grasp on both Regulus and Sirius Black. He had even briefly met Narcissa Black last year and had quickly been able to get a read on her. This current Black, though, was a bit of an odd one and he didn’t quite know what to make of him just yet. 
> 
> For now, he would just keep an eye on him — there was no rush to make a judgment; he had time.


	9. Year 3, Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite happy with how this turned out but I'm so over it, so here we go. (Honestly was contemplating just using the end notes scene, but wanted to keep the hints of Hadrian/Remus bonding). Hopefully you guys still somewhat enjoy this though.

Hadrian hadn’t ever found much occasion to talk to Remus Lupin before — they were in different houses and, with the exception of Sirius, their social circles didn’t really overlap so it wasn’t as if they had many reasons to. Now, with the introduction of electives providing more opportunities for houses to mix together in combinations heretofore unheard of, he found himself sitting beside the gentle Marauder in both Divination _and_ Ancient Runes.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision, the two had just seemed to gravitate towards the same part of the classroom — the direct center, which meant that they weren’t sitting right in front of the lecturing professor, but also not in the very back where it would be hard to hear anything at all. (Hadrian had been picking this same location in all of his classes — with the exception of the potions classroom which required some adjustments — , citing his approval of the acoustics to the amusement of Terry and Jasper whom followed along with some gentle teasing.)

Of course this meant that over the past two weeks, Hadrian had ample time to get to know the Gryffindor and would now consider themselves acquaintances, maybe (tentatively, in the privacy of his own mind) _friends_ even.

Which is why he was very much aware of Remus’ mounting frustration with their Divination class.

A lot of Divination required inborn talent, but there were still certain branches that even those without the gift could learn to use to a passable degree — cartomancy, astrology and even dream interpretation come to mind. Unfortunately, for reasons completely unknown to Hadrian, Professor Cayce decided to start off with tessomancy (week one) and crystal-gazing (week two).

Hadrian helped Remus survive the first week, offering to help him revise and practice after dinner on class days — this helped quite a bit when they were only expected to interpret tea leaves. Once the second week started and they were left to stare at crystal balls, though, Hadrian could only watch helplessly as Remus grew increasingly annoyed at what ended up being a complete waste of time in his case.

Knowing what he did, Hadrian really should not have been as surprised as he ended up being when Remus finally lost his patience. Maybe it was more that Hadrian had always pictured the Gryffindor as the sort to make a quiet exit, not wanting to draw attention to himself — so when he angrily stood and announced to the students at large what a complete waste the class was and then entered a very loud and very heated argument with Professor Cayce before finally scooping up his belongings and storming out, Hadrian hadn’t been prepared.

He also found himself woefully unprepared for that same Remus Lupin to walk into the Arithmancy classroom come Monday afternoon and attempt to bore a hole in the side of his head from the intensity of his inquisitive stare.

It seems that Hadrian just wasn’t prepared for the Gryffindor named Remus Lupin in general, and now he had to quickly get his shit together or this year would be a very school term indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “For Merlin’s sake, could you stop staring at me?!” Remus growled, slamming his spoon down on the table beside his plate and glaring at his friend seated across from him. 
> 
> “Sooo,” Sirius drawled, trying and failing to hide the shit-eating grin that had taken up residence on his face from the moment he had taken his seat at the Gryffindor table. “Two weeks, huh?”
> 
> “Oh fine,” Remus huffed out, narrowing his eyes at the grinning Black. “You were right. There! Happy now?”
> 
> “Oi, Potter! Pay up!” Sirius called out as he caught sight of their wayward friend making his way over to them, Peter following close behind. 
> 
> “Which bet did I lose?” James asked, fishing around in his robe pockets for the galleon that had been his wager.
> 
> “The one on when Remmie would drop Divination,” Sirius responded, happily collecting his winnings. 
> 
> “Ugh, come on Remus. You couldn’t hold out for another week?” James whined as he plopped down beside said student. 
> 
> “Add/drop was last Friday though,” Peter pointed out sensibly from beside Sirius, mouth already half-full with food and ignoring the disgusted look Sirius sent his way with practiced ease. (Sirius may not act like the proper Pureblood heir 99.9% of the time, but he still had manners and so was appalled at Peter’s display). 
> 
> “Anyway,” Remus growled out, glaring around the table at his supposed friends. “I picked up Arithmancy instead and it’s held at the same exact time as Divination —”
> 
> “Because Cayce and Gauss hate each other’s guts,” Sirius noted, nodding sagely.
> 
> “— but when I walked in I found Hadrian there.” 
> 
> “You sure?” James asked, brow cocked as he observed his friend.
> 
> “Yes, I’m sure. Not like he has any doppelgängers running around the school, especially not in our year.”
> 
> “Maybe he tested out of Divination?” Sirius offered, a thoughtful look on his face (which was unusual enough of an occurrence that Remus took note). “Morgana knows he doesn’t really need any of the intro stuff. Probably thought his time was better spent in Arithmancy.”
> 
> “Yeah,” Remus agreed, begrudginly conceding that the reasoning was sound. “That _could_ be the case.”
> 
> “How are you so close with Hadrian already, anyway? You’ve only known him for two weeks tops,” Sirius asked, aiming for an air of nonchalance (as if he wasn’t dying to know Remus’ secret).
> 
> “Well,” Remus paused, trying to see if there was a nice way to phrase what he wanted to say, before giving up and deciding that he was still annoyed at Sirius and so was just going to be blunt. “It certainly helps if you’re not avoiding him.”
> 
> Used to how weird Sirius got regarding Hadrian, the rest of the Marauders returned their attentions back to dinner and ignored the spluttered protests from Sirius.


	10. Year 3, Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Regulus does as all younger siblings do: live to annoy their elder sibling.

It wasn’t that Regulus had been paying any particular attention to his elder brother — rather, it was quite the opposite in that it was _Sirius_ that was watching _Regulus_ with a sharp eye — but he would have to either be very unobservant or lacking in self-preservation instincts (two things that could not be said about Regulus, let alone any member of the Black family) in order to be that oblivious to the staring.

It wasn’t constant — the staring — which had been the first clue; Regulus was free of the heavy gaze (most likely wishing him ill thoughts, if not outright bodily harm) while he sat at his house table surrounded by his fellow Slytherins. But, should Regulus feel like making a trip over to the Ravenclaw table to greet Hadrian, he could start to feel pinpricks on the back of his neck, indicating that he was beginning to gain Sirius’ attention. Then, if he dared to actually take a seat beside his cousin and deign to spend the rest of the meal at his side, those light pinpricks would sharpen and deepen and gain weight — this was the second clue.

Regulus may not have the same affinity for tricks and chaos that his elder brother had, but never let it be said that Regulus Arcturus Black wasn’t a mischievous sort in the way all younger siblings were when dealing with their elder counterparts.

So he decided to conduct an experiment of sorts.

**Day 1** \- He greeted Hadrian verbally; there was no physical contact, no lingering at the Ravenclaw table, just a cheerful exchange of words as he passed by on the way to the Slytherin table.

_Result_ \- No response.

**Day 2** \- He greeted Hadrian with a quick hug before leaving for the Slytherin table.

_Result_ \- Light pinpricks.

**Day 3** \- He greeted Hadrian with a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug before leaving for the Slytherin table.

_Result_ \- Sharp pinpricks.

**Day 4** \- He took a seat beside Hadrian at the Ravenclaw table and took breakfast there; no kiss, no hug.

_Result_ \- Heavy pinpricks that lingered beneath his skin.

**Day 5** \- He took a seat beside Hadrian at the Ravenclaw table and tucked himself into his cousin’s side; Hadrian allowed him to remain like that throughout breakfast.

_Result_ \- Sharp, heavy pinpricks that lodged themselves between his shoulder blades.

**Day 6** \- He took breakfast with Hadrian at the Ravenclaw table and childishly demanded that Hadrian feed him.

_Result_ \- Attempted murder; felt like a sword was plunged into his back.

_**Conclusion**_ \- Sirius had it _bad_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I know you’re up to something,” Hadrian said in greeting as Regulus took his place beside him at the Ravenclaw table during lunch. 
> 
> “I have no idea what you mean,” Regulus denied easily, carefully avoiding looking directly at the other as he fixed his plate. 
> 
> “Hmm.” Hadrian stared at him, his eyes flicking over to the Gryffindor table for a moment — spotting Sirius engrossed in a debate with his housemates — before turning back to Regulus and considering the younger Black for a moment longer. 
> 
> “Anyway, paranoia and baseless accusations aside,” Regulus began, a plan forming in his mind. “Did you hear about Sirius making the Quidditch team?”
> 
> “I didn’t even know he went to try outs,” Hadrian admitted, allowing the change in subject. 
> 
> “Well he did, and now he’s a Beater for the Gryffindors. So, I was thinking —”
> 
> “Ooh, entering dangerous waters there.”
> 
> “— we should go watch him during practice.” 
> 
> Regulus watched with bated breath as Hadrian mulled over the suggestion. 
> 
> “Alright.”
> 
> “Great! They have one tonight, so I’ll meet you in your common room and then we can head down together.” With that said, he quickly made his escape from the Great Hall. On the way to the doors, as he passed by the Gryffindor table, he felt the weight of familiar eyes watching his departure — Regulus chose not to look back and meet them as he was having trouble hiding the mischievous grin that had stole across his face. 
> 
> It was now time for some good ol' scheming.


	11. Year 3, Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is staying safe. Remember: wash yer dang hands (and wear a mask)!

“So… trying out a new look?”

Hadrian didn’t stop walking but turned his head so that Regulus could have an unobstructed view of the annoyance clear on his face. “Not intentionally, no. It just so happened to turn out this way. Why?” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as the younger Slytherin quickly turned away and walked faster to stay ahead of him. 

“Oh don’t worry, you look very pretty.” Regulus said in his attempt at reassurance though horribly failing to hide the amusement coloring his voice or the large grin on his face. 

“That’s not very reassuring!” Hadrian called out, quickly catching up to his cousin. “I never learned those cosmetic spells,” he admitted, looking slightly ashamed. “There was never really a reason to do so — my parents would always take care it.”

“Is there a reason they couldn’t take care of it this time?” Regulus asked, reaching out a hand to tug at the strands of hair brushing the other boy’s shoulder. 

“Papa was very irritating over break so I’m ignoring him until he apologizes. Which means that I also didn’t let him cut my hair. Of course Mum refused to have anything to do with the whole situation, so she wouldn’t cut it for me and now I’m here… like this.” Hadrian scowled as Regulus started laughing. When the younger boy didn’t look as if he would stop anytime soon, Hadrian shoved him harshly with a shoulder before walking ahead to find a seat in the Quidditch stands. 

The pair were late, as the Gryffindor’s looked to be well into their practice: the team had already wrapped up their mock game and were currently being coached on areas for improvement. Hadrian combed through the crowd of lions until he finally found Sirius standing with an arm slung over James Potter’s shoulder — to no one’s surprise — and the other holding his broom. The team stood in their huddle for some more minutes before breaking off to perform drills.

“Seriously though,” Regulus began, deciding to take the opportunity to continue their conversation. “You make it work. Really adds to that whole… fae thing—“ Regulus yelped as he narrowly dodged the swat aiming for his head as he uttered the “f” word. 

“I thought I told you never to call me that,” Hadrian growled out. Regulus quickly put his hands up in surrender, muttering a quick apology before immediately needling the other for forgiveness. Hadrian sighed as Regulus attempted to burrow into his side and made the mistake of looking down and seeing the large blue eyes staring beseechingly up at him. 

“Agh! Fine, fine! You’re forgiven. Now get off of me already!” Regulus allowed himself to be shoved off of Hadrian, though he made sure that he was still seated closely by. 

The pair sat patiently in the stands, watching whichever team members were closest in view. Occasionally Sirius would dive down towards the grassy pitch, allowing Hadrian to catch a glimpse of his figure, though he wouldn’t stay in view for long before he was racing off, the sound of his barking laughter trailing behind. Regulus carefully watched the way Hadrian intently focused on the beater, but wisely kept quiet. Instead, once Sirius was out of sight, Regulus would offer his (utterly biased but nonetheless entertaining) commentary on the other members and their Quidditch abilities. Before long, they pair spotted the Gryffindor captain drifting down to land on the grass, disembarking to grab a whistle from the sidelines.

“Oh, I think practice is over! Let’s go.” Just as the shrill sound cut through the air signalling the end of practice, Regulus stood up and impatiently began tugging on Hadrian’s arm to follow along. 

As they approached Sirius, who had finally noticed their approach and began making his excuses to meet them, Hadrian realized that the sweat was causing Sirius’ hair to curl a bit and that it was making him feel a certain way that he didn’t want to analyze too closely at the moment. 

“Ah, I see the beast is in his natural form,” Regulus remarked in greeting, nose wrinkling as he finally took notice of the stench coming from his brother.

“And I see the shadow is doing as it does best,” Sirius responded with a pointed look towards Hadrian before a mischievous look appeared on his face. Without warning, he pulled Regulus in for a tight hug, making sure to shove his face into a sweat-soaked shoulder for good measure. Once Sirius was satisfied that Regulus had absorbed some of the sweat into his previously clean robes, he let go and turned those grey eyes onto Hadrian. 

“Congrats on making the team,” Hadrian offered with a soft smile.

“Thanks. Were you guys here the whole time?” Sirius asked, one hand reaching up to rake through his damp hair. 

“Not exactly.” 

“Hmm,” Sirius hummed thoughtfully as he carefully examined Hadrian. “Oh! Your hair,” Sirius reached out a hand to brush the ends of the hair now touching Hadrian’s shoulder before quickly pulling it back and allowing it to fall to his side. “You let it grow it out. ’S good.”

Hadrian could feel his cheeks glow red. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, you look good with long hair.” Seeming to realize what he had said, Sirius quickly stammered out that he had to get changed, offered a quick wave in farewell, before (most definitely not intending to, but most definitely actually) turning tail and running back to the Quidditch locker rooms. 

Hadrian watched him make his escape, though he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to take offense. _Sirius said I look good with long hair. Sirius prefers me with long hair?_

As Regulus gently herded him back towards the castle, Hadrian came to the decision that maybe he was okay with growing his hair out after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As soon as Regulus parted ways with Hadrian, he made a quick dash for the Owlery. Grabbing a spare piece of parchment and a quill (though not before casting a quick cleaning spell) he began drafting his letter. 
> 
> _Dear Cissy, _
> 
> _You will **not** believe the latest development in the Hadrian/Sirius situation…_


	12. Year 3, Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hadrian finally puts the pieces together and confronts his new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course it would take a pandemic for me to be granted enough time, energy, and motivation to actually continue this. Hope all you guys are staying safe out there.

Hadrian liked to think that (at the minimum) he was friend-adjacent with Remus. They had started off the year by being desk mates in class which had transitioned into being study partners. Now, Remus would join Hadrian and Regulus in the stands to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch practices (something that the polite Gryffindor had initially been confused by but had been kind enough not to ask too many questions about). But the biggest milestone (in Hadrian’s opinion) was when Remus had actually joined Hadrian at the Ravenclaw’s table for breakfast over the weekend — deep down, Hadrian knew that the only reason Remus even contemplated such a move was because the other 3 Marauders always chose to sleep past breakfast on the weekends, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same). 

Hadrian was a Black whom had spent all of his childhood tucked into his father’s side gazing up at the dark night sky and picking out constellations — he had been raised to be aware of the phase of the moon at all times. With that in mind, it was only inevitable that he would be able to connect the cyclical bouts of illness plaguing Remus with the cycle of the moon and realize that his new friend was always indisposed during a full moon. 

But Remus wasn’t Hadrian and couldn’t read Hadrian’s mind. So it was understandable that he would back away, eyes wide with terror and shoulders hunched in fear and dejection after the Ravenclaw quietly shared that he knew what Remus was — the secret that Remus had so carefully tried to hide his entire life. Remus was probably thinking that Hadrian would go to his family who would then contact the Ministry who would send someone to dispose of Remus; or maybe Hadrian would go to the Headmaster and though Professor Dumbledore had been so kind and understanding, who knows how far that goodwill would extend if another student finds out the secret. 

Remus was prepared for all kinds of scenarios that ended in either his expulsion or death, but he had not prepared for an outcome in which someone would sweep him up in their arms and attempt to sooth him, trying to reassure him that they held no ill will and that they didn’t think any less of him for his condition. How could Remus have ever fathomed that he would have such luck in his life as to find four people that accepted him and still wanted to be his friend even after knowing the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Can I just say that I'm glad that I led with the werewolf thing," Hadrian said, breaking the silence surrounding the pair in the abandoned classroom. Remus lifted his head from where it had been cradled against the Ravenclaw's shoulder in order to fix the other boy with an incredulous look. 
> 
> "Led with the werewolf thing? You mean you had another theory?" Remus watched in fascination as Hadrian's face slowly turned red, practically glowing in the dimly lit room. 
> 
> "Don't laugh," Hadrian warned, shooting Remus a pleading look and refusing to continue until the Gryffindor nodded in agreement. "I mean, the only other explanation would have been that you were menstruating..."
> 
> "Menstruating?" Remus repeated, his mind figuratively screeching to a halt as he tried to wrestle with that response. 
> 
> "In which case, the rest of my spiel would have been the same," Hadrian continued, his voice growing more quiet with each word uttered. He was now resolutely avoiding looking directly at Remus and so was startled terribly when the other boy began laughing hysterically. 
> 
> "Don't ever change Hadrian," Remus said between chuckles when he had finally gathered himself together enough to respond.


	13. Year 4, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hadrian's got a date, but probably not with who you think.

Hadrian had been walking to the great hall, Terry and Jasper flanking him on either side discussing the latest conspiracy theory that Jasper’s elder sister had come up with over the summer, when he felt as if his name was being called from behind.

“Hadrian Black?” This time, the voice — a pleasantly deep timbre — came from much closer and was unmistakably saying his name.

As Hadrian finally saw the speaker’s face, he felt his mouth go dry — the towering figure draped in yellow Hufflepuff robes with a glinting prefects badge on the breast was unmistakably that of Nathaniel Blackbriar.

“Y-“ Hadrian had to pause in order to clear his throat. “Yes?” He could feel a blush working its way up his face as those grey eyes bore down into his own before glancing at the Ravenclaws stood to either side of him.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?” Hadrian’s mind had gone blank at the sight of that sweet shy smile aimed at him and had almost missed the question.

“Go out?” He echoed dumbly. “Go where?” The sharp jab of elbows digging into both sides of his ribs jolted Hadrian back to reality in time to hear Nathaniel’s charming laugh.

“Uh, I didn’t really think that far,” the Hufflepuff admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I’m sure there’s a Hogsmeade weekend coming up soon, if you’re interested?”

Wide eyed, Hadrian could only dumbly nod his head. Exasperated at their usually intelligent friend’s malfunction, Terry and Jasper decided to take things into their own hands in order to salvage the situation.

“He would love to,” Terry said, looping one arm around Hadrian’s.

“First Hogsmeade weekend of term is in two weeks, I believe. We’ll make sure to remind him,” Jasper said, looping his arm with Hadrian’s other.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Nathaniel said with that charming smile of his that made Hadrian’s knees feel just a bit unsteady.

With one friend supporting him from either side, Hadrian was able to make it to the Great Hall before collapsing at the Ravenclaw table. He had just enough time to regain his senses and sit up straight before the girls descended on him.

“Why the _fuck_ is Nathaniel Blackbriar interested in _you_?” That was Dana, the sixth year that had had her eyes on said Hufflepuff since second year but had only dated him for one month last year before being dumped.

“Hey! Hadrian’s a catch!” Terry squawked, offended on his behalf.

“Maybe you turned him gay?” Jasper offered, before quickly ducking his head in an attempt to avoid the flurry of fists that had reached out to deck him for the comment.

Hadrian ignored the commotion that was occurring around him, content to eat his breakfast with a warm flush on his cheeks and a large grin on his face.

Nathaniel Blackbriar, a really attractive sixth year, was interested in him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “What’s up with the birds? ’S a bit too much energy for the morning,” Sirius mumbled, nodding towards the commotion at the Ravenclaw table, as he slid onto the bench beside James. 
> 
> “Morning Sirius,” Peter greeted around a yawn. 
> 
> “You missed it,” Remus began, a mischievous light in his eyes as he hid his smirk behind a piece of toast. “Nathaniel Blackbriar just asked Hadrian out.”
> 
> “Who’s that?” James asked, only recognizing Hadrian’s name. 
> 
> “Sixth year prefect, Hufflepuff team chaser, and the guy all the girls swoon over,” Remus rattled off easily, eyes trained on Sirius who hadn’t said anything yet.
> 
> "What'd he say?" Sirius asked, voice tight and eyes trained on the table. 
> 
> “I’m assuming yes. Alice heard them talking about the first Hogsmeade weekend.” Remus watched as Sirius seemed to stiffen, what was visible of his face darkening before he looked up with a strained smile. 
> 
> “Good for him.” He stated, voice veering more towards sarcasm than sincerity. Remus couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling as he watched Sirius focus intently on his plate for the rest of breakfast, pushing pieces of his food around on his plate but only taking the occasional bite.


	14. Year 4, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so I explain Voldemort's lack of presence in this universe.

There were certain things that came naturally to Hadrian, like Divination, and things that came with a bit of extra effort like Transfiguration. And then there was Defence Against the Dark Arts. 

“Well… you tried your best.” It was obviously meant as encouragement, but Hadrian couldn’t really see it that way from his position crumpled on the floor. With a dejected sigh, he grasped his professors hand and stood upright. 

“Why don’t we take a break?” Hadrian nodded, allowing himself to be herded into the side room where he was then gently pushed down into an arm chair. As he allowed his body to float in the cloud-like comfort and softness of his designated seat, Hadrian took the opportunity to look around the sitting room of his defence professor. He took note of the dueling trophy hung among a collection of other academic accolades decorating the wall between two large bookshelves, a green Slytherin house banner carefully strung above the impressive display — other than finally learning what his professor’s middle initial stood for, there were no surprises hidden in that area. Searching closer by, Hadrian noticed the framed portraits placed on the wall leading to the professor’s private rooms. Looking at the figures, one would think it was a muggle photo with how still the subjects were, but every so often the figures would blink their garnet red eyes, tilt or turn their heads ever so slightly and whisper to the other subjects, their lips making the most minimal of movements. Hadrian was brought out of his examination of the photo by the cup of steaming tea hovering in front of his face. 

“Thank you, Professor Riddle.” 

Riddle offered a slight bow of his head in response before taking the seat across from Hadrian, cradling his own cup of tea. They sat in amiable silence, enjoying their teas and allowing the heat to seep into their hands and warm their bodies. 

“I don’t remember seeing that picture last time,” Hadrian remarked, nodding towards the framed photograph on the professor’s left. Riddle turned and spotted the image in question, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance as he rolled his red eyes. 

“My father sent it over last weekend. He was feeling sentimental and lonely.” Though the words were spoken softly and without emotion, Hadrian (by virtue of the accumulated hours he had spent around the professor so far this year) thought he could pick up on the fondness beneath it all. 

“I’m assuming your brother must be home with him, to keep him company?” Riddle looked back at Hadrian, a puzzled expression appearing on his face before quickly being replaced with one of dawning understanding.

“Brother,” he echoed, shaking his head in amusement and chuckling before moving to explain the situation. “The one stood in the back left is me. To my side, who you mistook for a brother, is my father. The man seated before me is my grandfather in a sense — my father’s sire — and the woman seated beside him is the sire’s wife.” 

“Sire?” Hadrian asked, his mind quickly sorting through all the information he had just been handed. “So he’s a vampire… and so is your father… but you would be a-a dhampir?” Hadrian looked up at Riddle, to see if he had come to the right conclusion. 

“Correct,” Riddle said with a small nod of his head, red eyes peering cautiously into his student’s green. “Will that be a problem?”

“Why would it?” Hadrian responded, taking a sip of his tea and grimacing as he found that it had cooled during their conversation. Riddle pulled out his wand and sent over a warming charm to reheat his drink, for which Hadrian responded with a sheepish grin and a look of gratitude. “You’re still the brilliant professor that has so generously agreed to help a hopeless student salvage his grade by sacrificing your own free time. Besides,” Hadrian continued, shifting and allowing his body to sink further into the armchair. “I quite enjoy the way you make your tea.” 

Riddle stared at the young teenager sitting before him, face blank and gaze inscrutable, before offering a small smile. 

“Now that we’ve finished delving into my personal life for one evening, I do believe it’s your turn. Anything you would like to share regarding you and Mr. Blackbriar?” 

Hadrian’s cheeks flushed red and his eyes darted around the room, avoiding his professors mischievous red eyes. Riddle settled back in his seat and hid his smirk of amusement behind the rim of his tea cup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Hadrian exited the defence classroom, he spotted Nathaniel sitting against the wall across from the entrance engrossed in a book. With a grin, he crept up next to the sixth year, and bent down to sneakily drop a kiss on his cheek. 
> 
> “I hope I didn’t make you wait too long,” Hadrian offered in apology, as his boyfriend unfolded to his full height. 
> 
> “Don’t worry about it,” Nathaniel said, reaching out an arm to wrap around Hadrian, his hand resting on the younger boy’s hip. “How was the lesson today?” 
> 
> Hadrian let out a loud groan, leaning more of his body weight onto Nathaniel’s side as the pair started making their way towards Ravenclaw tower. “The lesson was awful, as always. I was able to last a bit longer than last time, but really, this whole dueling thing is just not for me.” 
> 
> Nathaniel hummed thoughtfully, his hand absentmindedly patting Hadrian’s hip. 
> 
> “I have a feeling that you know exactly what the problem is.” At that, Hadrian looked up at his boyfriend, a fond smile on his lips. 
> 
> “Of course you do,” he said with a shake of his head before sighing. “It’s my brain. I can’t help overthinking. And then before I can make a decision, I’m on the ground, or wandless.” 
> 
> “My brilliant little raven,” Nathaniel praised with a cheeky grin as the pair came to a stop outside the entrance to Ravenclaw tower. “Don’t stress yourself out too much, I’m sure you and Riddle will come up with something soon enough. Now,” Nathaniel shifted so that they were now facing one another. “Head on up to bed. You get a bit cranky when you haven’t slept enough.” 
> 
> “Yes, sir,” Hadrian said, before gesturing for Nathaniel to bend his head down lower. Once they were finally eye level, Hadrian leant in to offer a soft, chaste kiss. “Good night.”


	15. Year 4, Part 3

Regulus walked over to the Ravenclaw table, looking out for a specific brunette but only able to locate his two friends instead. With a sigh, he decided to take the seat opposite the pair and see if they could be of any help.

“Where’s Hadrian?”

The two fourth years looked at him for a second, before staring at each other with puzzled looks.

“You know, that name sounds so familiar,” Terry said, stroking his chin while thinking over how he had heard that name.

“Yeah, as if we knew this Hadrian fellow really well, before he disappeared for several years,” Jasper responded.

“Almost as if we were friends before he got swept off his feet by a charming older man,” Terry continued, staring off into the distance, almost sure that he could just make out the illusive figure out on the horizon.

“Before we were forgotten and tossed aside, in favor of a whirlwind romance,” Jasper finished.

Regulus stared at the pair for a long moment — he hadn’t really ever thought to speak to them before, only choosing to come over to the Ravenclaw table in order to see Hadrian, and so never knew what kind of characters they were (besides being the supporting cast in his cousin’s life).

Terry and Jasper stared at Regulus for a moment longer, before they sighed and leaned against each other for support.

“Hadrian sits with Blackbriar during breakfast on the weekends,” Terry said, gesturing vaguely over at the Hufflepuff table.

“And dinner on the weekdays,” Jasper added. “Obviously, we’re feeling a bit abandoned.”

“Though I suppose you’re also in the same boat, since you actually had to come and talk to _us_.” Terry continued, offering a self-deprecating smile to soften the barb aimed at Regulus.

Regulus looked over at the Hufflepuff table, easily able to pick out the towering figure of the sixth year prefect and the Ravenclaw that was happily chattering on beside him.

“I suppose so.”

*

Sirius didn’t know how it had happened, but at some point he had become accustomed to spotting Hadrian sitting in the stands, flanked by Remus and Regulus on either side, watching the Gryffindor team practice every week without fail.

Since the start of the year though — since _Blackbriar_ waltzed into his life — Sirius had been seeing less and less of the other Black, and he wasn’t happy about that change.

“Chin up, Sirius. I’m sure he’ll start coming back once the novelty of it all fades,” James said, patting him on the back as they landed on the pitch at the end of practice. Sirius idly wondered just how obvious his disappointment had been if James of all people had noticed.

“Dunno what you’re talking about mate,” Sirius responded, watching as Regulus and Remus made their way over (as they did every week though usually with a certain Ravenclaw in tow).

“You looked a bit distracted there.” Regulus quickly pointed out, immediately latching onto the opportunity to tease his elder brother.

“You must have been imagining things then,” Sirius shot back with a weak glare.

Remus watched the exchange and shook his head before laying a comforting hand on Sirius’ shoulder.

“If it makes you feel better, Hadrian’s been attending extra lessons with Riddle,” He offered and if Sirius was being honest with himself (which he most certainly was not, but he wasn’t going to explore the reasons why) it did make him feel marginally better about the situation, though he tried to hide that fact from the others.

If the knowing looks they all exchanged over his head was any indication, then he did a terrible job of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severus Snape had very few friends — he wasn’t one to sugar coat reality and this was just a fact of his life. So it was a wonder that the youngest Black had taken a shining to him but it was something that he had tentatively come to accept. 
> 
> But while it was easy to be friends with Lily Evans (she had a good head on her shoulders and was cognizant of the fact that Severus was probably the last person she should go to if she wanted to cry about boys and relationships), Regulus always managed to find new ways in which to test their friendship — he was a bit dramatic and would come to whine at Severus (all things that had taken the older Slytherin by surprise).
> 
> Today, it seemed that the youngest Black was feeling particularly slighted by his Ravenclaw cousin and wanted someone to whom he could express his frustrations to. Unfortunately, that person seemed to be Severus. 
> 
> “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Severus said, interrupting Regulus’ monologue when it seemed that the other had no intentions of stopping anytime soon (not even to take a deep breath). “But besides your familial relationships, your social circles don’t really overlap.” 
> 
> “He doesn’t need anyone else though. He has us!” Regulus whined. Severus stared at the younger Slytherin for a long moment, wondering if he would realize how ridiculous that response was. 
> 
> “I suppose this is what happens when your family tree is a circle,” Severus muttered with a deep sigh, as it became apparent that Regulus saw nothing wrong with what he had said. 
> 
> “There’s me, Sirius, and Cissy. That’s enough people.”
> 
> “That’s three people,” Severus pointed out. 
> 
> “It’s enough.” Regulus insisted with a glare. 
> 
> “Last time I checked, Hadrian is also half-Greengrass, yet you haven’t included anyone from that side.”
> 
> “No need. The Blacks are better anyway.” Regulus argued. 
> 
> Severus stared at him, incredulous. He knew that Regulus was a bit clingy when it came to Hadrian, but this was on a whole different level. Even Sirius (though he was loathe to admit as such) had a more expanded social circle. 
> 
> “What about me?” Severus pointed out, feeling very much older than his age at this moment. 
> 
> “What about you?” 
> 
> “Do I not count as your friend?” Severus had said it so nonchalantly, but he was still nervous at the response he would receive in turn. 
> 
> “Of course!” Well, that was a relief. 
> 
> “Okay. Then you have one person who is not family as your friend. And what about Sirius?”
> 
> “What about him?” Regulus’ gaze was wary and filled with suspicion now. 
> 
> “He’s best friends with _three_ people who aren’t family.”
> 
> “But he never really liked being a Black.” Regulus pointed out, voice now most definitely petulant.
> 
> “Hmmm.” Severus stared down at Regulus, maintaining eye contact until the other finally looked away with a pout. 
> 
> “Yeah, yeah. You made your point.” Regulus finally capitulated. “I’m still not happy, though.” He warned, glaring.
> 
> “That’s fine.” Severus said, finally able to return his attention to the book he had been attempting to read since the start of breakfast.


	16. Year 4 Part 4

“You know,” Nathaniel began, voice muffled against the soft strands of Hadrian’s hair where he had pressed his face moments ago. “This is the longest I’ve ever been with anyone.” His voice was soft, hesitant and full of wonder and Hadrian could feel his heart ache as he heard his boyfriend speak.

“I don’t see why that is,” Hadrian said, cheeks puffing in irritation on his partner’s behalf. “You’re kind, considerate, and give great hugs. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” He smiled up at the Hufflepuff, finding it hard to hold onto his anger at the sound of Nathaniel’s pleased laughter sending vibrations throughout his body from the proximity and close contact..

“Oh if only everyone was as content with my hugs as you are,” Nathaniel murmured, grey eyes peeking through a mess of auburn hair to gaze down at the younger student.

“They’re great. Can’t imagine anyone would have a problem with them.”

“Hmm.” Nathaniel peered at him in consideration before hiding his face into the gentle slope of Hadrian’s shoulder. “They don’t. At least, not at first.” Nathaniel’s voice faded into silence and Hadrian held his breath, wanting to hear every word. “Then they realize that that’s all I want to do and start pushing… but I’m not interested in sex, so I have to break up with them.”

“At all?” Hadrian asked, voice soft and inquisitive — no inherent judgment hiding beneath.

“At all.” Nathaniel repeated, voice a hoarse whisper.

A silence fell over the pair as Hadrian thought over the new information and Nathaniel watched him think.

“What about kissing?” Hadrian asked, turning his head and catching hesitant grey eyes.

“I like that.”

“Good. I do too,” Hadrian replied, smiling wide and joyously and stealing Nathaniel’s breath away. “And you love hugging and cuddling too… I don’t see any problems, so please don’t break up with me.”

Nathaniel laughed, the sound light and buoyant with relief before leaning in until the tips of their noses bumped. “I won’t, my little raven. I’ll keep you around for as long as you allow me to.”

Hadrian mumbled something in turn, but the words were lost to the soft brush of lips and the gentle play of tongues as they drowned in one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I offer you an ace cinnamon roll in these trying times?


End file.
